Agility to foster the development performance of a new technological product line
Putting a new product line with a technological breakthrough on a competitive market, within controlled deadlines.
“ With these new principles of Agility and Lean in R&T, we have shortened lead times, increased the visibility with our customers and our teams have drastically evolved in the way they collaborate with each other. ”
Context
Our client is a company specialized in the development and manufacture of high-tech electronic equipment.
The exchanges between the company and its customers/markets are limited to the commercial and marketing teams. The communication of the informations with the project, development, R&T and industrialization teams is too restricted to allow quick reactivity and flexibility to the hazards of the market. In parallel, the significantly long development lead times of such innovative technological bricks do not easily allow for a fast positioning on the market. In parallel, the significantly long development lead times of such innovative technological bricks do not easily allow for a fast positioning on the market.
Considering these stakes, the Board of the company has decided to lead one of its key projects on the way to the principles of agility while integrating approaches inspired from Lean in Engineering.
Approach
Mews Partners has been involved in defining the conditions to implement Agility within the Projects, Products, R&T and Industrialization organizations, and coach the teams while deploying.
Beyond the agile rituals inspired from scrum and from Agile at Scale with approaches such as SAFe®, Agility relied on a seamless flow of information at the different jobs’ interfaces on one hand, and with the suppliers on the other hand. The principles of pulled flow inspired by Lean have proved to be very efficient.
The considered products being complex from both the technical & manufacturing process points of view, the teams have been working on some principles of Lean in System Engineering aiming at making design & process decisions by convergence and progressive elimination of the weakest solutions, avoiding traditional costly design loopbacks and delays.
Results
The implementation of agile rituals involving some customers has naturally brought the customers to move from a traditional mode of requirements and reports to a collaborative mode where seeking value becomes the main element of discussion.
The roles within the project team were completely rethought. A more accountable and realistic team when defining its activities and its commitments, and a more collaborative and supportive team when facing difficulties and technological challenges.
After a 4-months period of implementation, the technological progresses are concrete and visible by the customers, the road map is gradually being secured towards a better adequacy of the offer to the customers & market needs.
